Ah, Bunn...the SOBs from the Legion not only wore underwear under their kilts, but it was of the old-fashioned long red kind. They pretty much had to do so because some of them fellers ain't had them longhandles off in twenny or thirty years -- you'd probably have to chisel 'em off too, for some of them SOBs don't bathe all that regular.

Since they've been back some of them have taken to hangin' around in their Scottish get-up, asking young women if they'd "like to stick your hand inso my sporran and feel my sgain dhu." Those are pronounced "SPORE-anny" and "skinned doo." This has resulted in everything from indignent face slaps to arrests to frightening one poor SOB out of his skin when the young lady took him up on his offer.

I know many women with Kilts, of various lengths*. And various lengths of kilt too. Under the SOBHD rules and guidelines, they're not doing it right unless you can see their underwear.

* height would be more normal, but my current least favouite use** for female highland dancers involves laying them on the floor, and trying to end up in exactly the right spot, with the best technique I can and exactly on time. Or not landing on them at least, and tall women make it harder.

And who do you think is responsible for that? Hmmmmmm? The voters? Not likely! It was the Special Operations Boys* (called "the SOBs") of the Special Operations Branch (called "that SOB") of the Idaho Legion, that's who. They'll be happy to take your gratitude in, ah, liquid form.

*There are women involved with that SOB as well as men. Men were chosen for this particular SpecOp (as it's called) because of the kilts involved. The women work under the aegis of the Black Operations/Special Operations Mission; they are currently involved in Awfully Extremely Secret Operations Procedures involving the French postal authorities; more I cannot say under the provisions of the Legion Official Secrets Extraordinary Rules Statute.

You've gone and left you prophesing on by accident again, Rap. Gordon Brown will become PM in a year or two, and then the ascendancy of all things Scottish will happen.

Except the bit about the Isle of Man, which has a form of goverment that has evolved from Viking Tradions, and so has a special Status that gives it leave to ignore Westminster on most things.

They used to hold all meetings of the Tynwald ( parliment type thing) on Midsummers day, outdoors. This had the effect of keeping Govement to a bare minimum, as most people would either be drunk fom the morning celebrations, or wanting to finish up so they could go join in the Eveneing celebrations.... Doesn't sound a bad idea.

In fact, we should have all our parliments outside. No more seperating the politicians from the people. No shelter from the elements. They'd soon get the idea.....

"Thorium-232 has a half-life of 14 billion (14x109) years, and decays by alpha emission, with accompanying gamma radiation. ... Two other isotopes of thorium, which can be significant in the environment, are thorium-230 and thorium-228. Both belong to other decay series. They also decay by alpha emission, with accompanying gamma radiation, and have half-lives of 75,400 years and 1.9 years, respectively. "

Sir! Please! Do not confuse the Idaho Legion with a respectable organization! The last time someone did the Legion demanded an apology and when it wasn't received Certain Actions Were Taken. The Actions Taken were of necessity done "black" or "under cover" but I am certain that you are familiar with the results: a Scottish parliament ruling not only Scotland but England, Cornwall, Wales, and the Isle of Man; the restoration of the Scottish monarchy and the Pledge of Fealty by Elizabeth II; the piobrach restored to its rightful place in symphony orchestra worldwide, and, of course, the adoption of haggis as THE breakfast dish of the Scottish (formerly British) Isles.

Have you never walked through Prestonpans Square in London and gazed up at Wallace's Column? Or does your heart not beat a bit faster when you think on Dunnichen or Harlaw as you sip your Talisker?

You may thank the work of the Idaho Legion and their determined stand in defense of irrespectiveness.

'Bout the only thing that can get you tossed from the Legion (it's a ceremony wherein the Legion Commandante cuts away your fly button with a sword, and God help you if you have a zipper) is "sobering to excess."

Q3 Ελπίζω ότι μπορείτε να δείτε τη διαφορά. A: Thankfully, I don't have a sister, so that's impossible. I thought actions like that would get you thrown out of the legion, and any other respectable organisation.

A recent study I read about concludes that if you can get to bed before midnight that you'll benefit more from the rest. Going to bed at 10 or 11 instead of midnight, even if you're still getting 8 hours sleep, the sleep is qualitatively better when you sleep a couple of hours prior to midnight. I don't know why, but I know that it feels true.

Friday morning, a long week behind with too many tasks and too few hours of rest in between them. My ass is dragging and the freshly ground, freshly brewed, strong as Hercules black coffee I am transfusing doesn't seem to be the thing. I have a to-do list as long as my socks. So the last thing I want is to have to jack Mom back up the hill, laden down with a fresh load of BS that is 87% water.

But in this kind of country, there's no way around; you can't get theah from heah and you can't pick up a phone and order it done. Nope, you're on your own resources out here. So if you want the whole thread jacked up, man, you get to do the jacking.

Makes ya self-sufficient, resourceful, gives you spine and the right to look any other man in the eye with quiet pride, knowing you have made your own way and jacked up your own threads, are not a city slicker who needs help from hired hands just to wash dishes, or a bumpkin who can't find his way north from south. Yer a man, me son. Hit that submit button, and walk tall.

That acid can be bad stuff, man. A friend of mine tried it and either spent hours staring at the sun or decided to fly around the roof of the Empire State Building or maybe both, ya know? And the flashbacks can get ya at the worst times, like when you're getting married or in church or at your mom's funeral or when you're driving at, like 90 miles per hour, ya know? And then you can get some windpane, which is mixed with, like, strychnine, and even though you can get a jagged high you can die from the strych, ya know? So you'd, like, be better sticking with, like, grass, ya know?

Hey Mom, since the kids' computer did a crash and burn this afternoon we're going to play a board game tonight (they're setting it up now). We got some ice cream and are all set for snacks. Earlier this evening I had them exit the house by the front door and walk quietly around to the side, where we fed June bugs to four toads that live around that side porch. You have to flick them close enough that the toad is willing to move to get it. No hand-feeding here. You see the toad move, but the tongue is so fast it's amazing. (We're easily entertained around here at times).

Pong was, I believe, the first computer video game, although I remember a tic-tac-toe game at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in the '50s or early '60s -- it was played against a computer, but Pong was the first commercially viable game.

Curiously enough, yesterday my 14-year-old son was asking me about the age of video games because something that came his way advertised 50 years of entertainment. The company that originated PacMan, I think. I remember those turning up when I was in high school, or maybe early in college. I told him the same thing--pinball was the big game until the arcade games came along. I got pretty good at some of those--they feel more like you're playing a game, not just standing there with the joysticks. You rock and roll and tip and lean and try not to tilt. . .

I don't remember any video arcades when I was a kid, MMario. All I can recall back in those days was pinball machines and those Italian soccer thingies...manual stuff. I didn't play those, and they weren't that common anyway...not like video arcades are now.

I can well recall when the very first computer games came out...and I was an adult by then (sort of...).

Gram was a woman who could pin you to the wall and flay you with her glare at 50 paces. Most of the community lived in terror of her "look". Parents threatened their children with her (Truth!) - and those who were NOT afraid of her hadn't met her.

And if our books were returned late there was no excuse. The librarians chained you to a post by your thumbs while you stood on a pile of boards (barefoot, and the boards were roughsawn). Then they knocked the boards out from under your feet, one board for every day overdue. You were then scourged with a cat-o-nine tails and keelhauled.

And we walked twenty miles to the schoolhouse Barefoot, uphill both ways, Through blizzards in summer and winter Back in the good old days. Back when Fortran was not even Three-tran And the PC was only a toy And we did our computing by gaslight When I was a boy.

Amos, there WERE no computer games or text messaging programs when I was a kid. What there was, was TV. Other kids watched TV. I read books. This gave me quite an advantage over most of my peers when it came to writing essays in school, I can tell you...